A New Sunscreen Additive with Anti-Melanoma Properties

This technology opportunity relates to a new sunscreen additive that may provide additional protection against melanoma. CUNY researchers discovered that dequalinium-14 (DECA-14) is highly effective against metastasis of melanoma cells in mice by inhibiting an enzyme called protein kinase C. This enzyme continues to be a strong anti-cancer target for the design of novel chemotherapies. A distinct advantage of DECA-14 is that its action can be enhanced by UVA radiation, enabling it to form a chemical link with this enzyme target and thereby inactivate it.

Unlike many chemical filters that degrade within 30 min in the sun, DECA-14 is photo-stable and would contribute additional UVA protection in a sunscreen. It would offer coverage in the range of 300 - 350 nm and would complement physical barriers (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) as well as other photo-stable chemical filters (aloe, vitamin E) that were recently found to be effective in sunscreens.